Homeschooling Field Trip: Fire Museum

Yesterday, we were back in North Charleston at the American LaFrance Fire Museum and Educational Center. Upon entering my son saw an antique fire truck with 2 laterns on it. Excitedly, he shared, "Mom, look laterns - just like on Little House on the Prairie!" Then he took off running. Inside we found 18 restored, antique fire trucks. Each truck had a story to tell.
We read and learned about each truck, noticing the differences and upgrades. The kids could not wait to investigate the educational play area with stairs on one side and a firetruck ladder on the other side. Once you reach the top, you can either slide down the fire pole or head down the slide. All thoughout the museum are mini educational areas - 911 calls, fire prevention, what the inside of a home looks like after a fire and fire equipment, just to name a few.
In the back of the museum is a stage with a 7 minute presentation. On stage, there are different areas of a home. The show highlights those areas of the home and alerts the audience to potential hazards. For example one area is the stove, that area is highlighted and the stove starts smoking. The hazard is discussed as is prevention.
I'm saving the best for last. The kids were thrilled with the fire truck simulator. It's an actual fire truck. A visitor can sit in the front, passenger or back seats. Once inside, buckle up. The driver starts the simulator by touching a side screen twice. The simulator takes you on a real call to an accident scene. The driver drives the truck to the scene. As the driver, not only are you driving, you can also hit the floor button for the siren or hit the horn. Each of the kids did the simulator twice and kept asking to go again!
There is much to learn at the fire museum for adults and children. I did not realize the fire fighters had floor buttons in the fire truck. The passenger does as well. Upon exiting the fire museum, each child receives a plastic fire hat to continue the pretend play at home.
The cost is reasonable, $6 per person. Kids are free under the age of 13 with an accompanying adult! A day at the fire museum proved to be educational and fun!